They are an organization in transition. They got lucky in the draft with Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers, but they have to try to win with young players, and that is almost impossible to do in the NBA. It's just going to be a process that requires some patience. They're headed in the right direction.

They have to focus on building a winning culture. From Day 1, coach Monty Williams needs to convince these guys that they can win. No one expects them to make the playoffs, but they shouldn't be the worst team in the league, either. If they can jump above Houston [in the Southwest Division], that will give them something to build on. You don't want to have them lose so much that they get beat down and wonder how to win. How do Davis and Rivers react to the losing? How does Williams handle that? He has to keep them mentally in it -- which is something he did with his team last season.

I'm very impressed with Williams, who is one of the better young coaches. His on-court demeanor is solid in that he has complete control of his emotions. His X's and O's are good. He's a very good defensive coach. His teams are well prepared. I get the impression he has the respect of his players. He is Doc Rivers-like. The Hornets were very competitive last season even with a lot of injuries and the losses of Chris Paul [in a trade with the Clippers] and David West [in free agency to Indiana]. That tells me that Williams has their attention and that guys are responding to him.